BrickUnderground

Susan NYC

A bathroom with two entryways, beepless elevators, and neighbors that don't smoke… six New Yorkers tell us what they’d add to their homes--or subtract--if only they could…

• Less social neighbors I’m in the basement of a brownstone and my neighbors like to sit outside and talk and sometimes they smoke, too. I’d say something but I know they are moving out soon anyway. I hope the next tenants don’t smoke -- or entertain -- much.  - Kwenelle, Harlem

• It’s getting hot in here With the weather warming up I remembered that I really want ceiling fans throughout the apartment. -Gerald, Gramercy Park

• What happened to good ole elevator music? I wish the elevator on my side of the building didn’t have that loud, high pitched beeping sound every time it passes a floor. The beeping turns into a long squeal whenever it reaches a floor where it has to stop. I can hear it from my bedroom. - Joyce, Hamilton Heights

This tiny lofted studio at West 20th Street and Eighth Avenue is only $1,500 a month, but you'll have to share the bathroom.

There are highs and lows in this week's Hot Dozen--the 12 rental apartments Streeteasy.com visitors clicked on most often over the past seven days. Among the lower-end apartments are single room occupancy studios in the $1,000 per month range, and on the high-end an over-$7,000-per-month three-bedroom on Central Park West.

A compact, lofted $1,500 studio (pictured) at 20th Street and Eighth Avenue (another hip and convenient neighborhood) is a single room occupancy unit in a townhouse. Again, utilities are included and pets are allowed (if you can find room for one), but note that this apartment features a communal bathroom, shared with two other tenants. 

Photo Credit / lusterbr

We've already touched on some of the considerations when buying an apartment IN a brownstone -- issues such as noise (since brownstones often weren't intended to be divided the way they are); chimney, fireplace and overall structural problems; and the general upkeep required.

If fractional living isn't your thing and you're looking to buy an entire brownstone, here are some things to consider first.

1. Upkeep and responsiblity 

A brownstone is a more hands-on investment than any other property, warns real estate agent David Schorr of Heddings Property Group.

Unlike a co-op or condo, “If anything goes wrong with the property it’s the owner’s responsibility to get on the phone with the contractor or electrician,” says Schorr. “You can’t just call up your super and say I’ve got a problem.”

Though it's on the pricier side, one advantage to this $2.595m three-bedroom, two-bathroom condop on the UWS is that no board approval is necessary. Might just be worth the splurge after all...

Forget the six-digit deals.The majority of the apartments that made the Open House Scorecard--the 10 open houses StreetEasy users saved more than any others this weekend--ring in at over a million bucks, in some cases way over $2 million. 

A well-renovated three-bedroom, two-bathroom condop on West 82nd Street and Broadway on the Upper West Side is on the market for $2.595m and doesn’t require board approval. The prewar apartment features new windows, custom closets and a multi-zone audio system with keypads throughout. The kitchen has a center island, SubZero fridge, Wolf range, as well as marble countertops. The third bathroom is currently being used as a powder room with a laundry room, but can be converted back into a full bathroom. The doorman building has a children’s playroom, roof deck, and live-in super.